Pud Galvin vs Kid Nichols: Career Stats Comparison
Pud Galvin has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Pud Galvin played 1875–1892 as a pitcher; Kid Nichols played 1890–1906 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Pud Galvin (1875–1892) and Kid Nichols (1890–1906) — breaking in during the 1870s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pud Galvin finished with 365 wins and 1,807 strikeouts; Kid Nichols finished with 362 wins and 1,881 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Pud Galvin, with 2.85 to Kid Nichols's 2.96.
- Who won more games? Pud Galvin, with 365 to Kid Nichols's 362.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kid Nichols, with 1,881 to Pud Galvin's 1,807.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pud Galvin, with 1.19 to Kid Nichols's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Pud Galvin, with 6,003.1 to Kid Nichols's 5,067.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pud Galvin, with 57 to Kid Nichols's 48.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kid Nichols, with 64,461 career Pitcher PIV to Pud Galvin's 27,907.
Pud Galvin
Kid Nichols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1870s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pud Galvin | Kid Nichols |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 365 | 362 |
| Losses not scored | 310 | 208 |
| Games | Leads: 705 | 621 |
| Games Started | Leads: 688 | 562 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 646 | 532 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 57 | 48 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | 1,807 | Leads: 1,881 |
| Walks not scored | 745 | 1,272 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 6,405 | 4,929 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 121 | 156 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 6,003.1 | 5,067.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.85 | 2.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 3.34 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.12 | 2.26 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kid Nichols outpaces Pud Galvin 64,461 to 27,907 — driven by per-season impact — 4,029 PIV per season to 1,642 — rather than by longevity, since Kid Nichols played 16 seasons to Pud Galvin's 17. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Pud Galvin — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Kid Nichols — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pud Galvin leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Kid Nichols owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pud Galvin. Note that PIV actually grades Kid Nichols ahead, which means Pud Galvin's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pud Galvin and Kid Nichols careers compare
The careers of Pud Galvin (1875–1892) and Kid Nichols (1890–1906) overlapped from 1890 to 1892, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 705 games for Pud Galvin and 621 for Kid Nichols across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Kid Nichols comes out ahead, it is in saves (16 to 2), strikeouts (1,881 to 1,807), and strikeouts per nine (3.34 to 2.71). By rate, Pud Galvin struck out 2.71 and walked 1.12 per nine innings; Kid Nichols struck out 3.34 and walked 2.26.
Pud Galvin vs Kid Nichols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pud Galvin or Kid Nichols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pud Galvin leads Kid Nichols in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pud Galvin, with 2.85 to Kid Nichols's 2.96.
- Who won more games?
- Pud Galvin, with 365 to Kid Nichols's 362.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kid Nichols, with 1,881 to Pud Galvin's 1,807.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pud Galvin, with 1.19 to Kid Nichols's 1.22.